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Maintaining Status on OPT

Students are still in F-1 status while they are on OPT or STEM OPT, but the primary purpose of your F-1 status changes to pursuing practical training directly related to your field of study in the form of employment (internship or job). As part of this change, you have new responsibilities:

Your Responsibilities to Maintain Status

  1. Keep a valid Employment Authorization Document (EAD). Students must have the EAD card in hand and the start date on EAD must have arrived before you begin any employment. The only exceptions are for students with pending STEM OPT or H-1B applications.
  2. If you have any changes to the categories listed below, you must report the changes to ISSS within 10 days via an OPT report e-form in iGlobal:
    • Personal information (legal name, residential and mailing address, contact information)
    • Employment (job start, job end, change from part-time to full-time, change of employment address, etc)
    • Change of status (F-1 to H-1B, etc)
  3. Inform ISSS if you are transferring to a new degree program. We will need to discuss a SEVIS transfer and its effect on your OPT.
Participation Reports Required for STEM OPT students: Students who are authorized for a STEM OPT Extension are required to submit an OPT Participation Report via iGlobal every 6 months, based on the dates shown on your STEM OPT EAD card. This applies even if there are no changes to report. If your employment is terminated for any reason prior to the end date of your STEM OPT EAD card, you must submit an I-983 final evaluation (bottom of page 5) along with your OPT report. In addition to reporting active changes to your employment and personal information, you must complete a participation report based on the following schedule:
  • 6 months: Personal Information and Confirmation of Employment
  • 12 months: Personal Information, Confirmation of Employment, and your 1-year I-983 evaluation (top of page 5)
  • 18 months:  Personal Information and Confirmation of Employment
  • 24 months: Personal Information, Confirmation of Employment, and your Final I-983 evaluation (bottom of page 5).
    Note: If any information changes on your I-983 (your title, your salary, your work location, etc), you will need to submit a new I-983 via an OPT report. 
Note: for both post-completion OPT and STEM OPT students: Employers must agree to Department of Homeland Security site visits, as well as provide attestations to wages and working conditions

Traveling on OPT

You may want or need to travel while on OPT or STEM OPT. Keep in mind that the travel signature on your I-20 is only valid for 6 months once you have applied for OPT. To re-enter the U.S. after you've applied for post-completion OPT, carry the following documents with you:

  1. Before your OPT is approved and after your I-20 program end date:
    • OPT I-20 with a valid travel signature
    • Valid passport
    • Valid F-1 visa (Canadian and Bermuda citizens exempt)
    • OPT application receipt notice (I-797A)
    • Proof of funding
    • Strongly recommended: job offer letter or proof that you are seeking employment
  2. After your OPT has been approved:
    • OPT I-20 with a valid travel signature
    • Valid passport
    • Valid F-1 visa (Canadian and Bermuda citizens exempt)
    • Valid EAD card
    • Proof of funding
    • Job offer letter or employment verification letter.

Please consult with an ISSS advisor if you have questions.

Departure/Grace Period

If you have maintained F-1 status for the duration of your OPT and/or STEM OPT authorization period, you may remain in the U.S. for up to 60 days after the expiration date of your most recent EAD. You cannot be employed during this period. If you travel internationally during this period, you cannot return to the U.S. in  F-1 status.

Limits of Unemployment

Students on post-completion OPT may not accumulate more than 90 days of unemployment. Students who receive the 24-month STEM OPT extension are given an additional 60 days of unemployment for a total of 150 days over their entire 36-month OPT/STEM OPT period. Unemployment does not begin to accrue until after the date on your EAD card has passed.

Students are considered to be employed if they are working on OPT or STEM OPT with a valid EAD card in a field directly related to their major (as listed on the OPT I-20) and working more than 20 hours per week. Unpaid work of more than 20 hours per week while on post-completion OPT is acceptable as employment, if it is related to the student’s field of study. However, students on STEM OPT are only eligible for paid positions through employers who are e-verified.

Employment Related to Degree

How do I show that employment is directly related to my degree?

It's recommended that students maintain evidence for each job, including documentation of their position, proof of the duration of their position, their job title, contact information for their supervisor or manager, and a job description. If it is not clear from the job description that the work is related to your degree, it's strongly recommended that you obtain a signed letter from your supervisor, manager, or the hiring official stating how your degree is related to the work performed. These documents do not need to be submitted to an ISSS advisor. Instead, you should keep them for your own records in case they are needed or requested at a later time in relation to a USCIS application.

Studying While on OPT

Because your primary purpose is to pursue practical training in your field of study in the form of a job or internship, any further study while on OPT must be incidental. This means you cannot study full-time and you cannot seek a new degree or certificate during this period of OPT. If you enroll in such a program, your OPT will automatically be terminated.

If you have applied for post-completion OPT and recently learned you have not finished your degree (additional enrollment at UCSC is required to complete your degree), please contact an ISSS Advisor to discuss your options.